Azure Akuma [Fire Force x M!Reader]

«|| 03: Unexpected Welcomes

You coughed for the nth time. The smoke filled your burning lungs as you struggled to make your way towards the Sanctuary. Your eyes burned with each step you made; only it seemed you were moving in slow motion.

Their screams only progressively got louder with each step you took, and it made your heart squeeze in sadness. Why were you reliving it again? Wasn't the one time enough? Did you deserve this sick punishment? You doubted you could handle another similar event. It'd surely break you this time.

With one final step, you were back where you last remembered being, in the center of the Sanctuary, where all your sisters breathed their last breath, and where you felt the most helpless in your life.

None of it made sense to you; they prayed every day. They did as they were told, and the sisters did everything to please the being they worshiped, yet they still burned in one of the holiest places. And for what? What did they do to deserve this?

Why?

The sisters writhed in pain, their apparel was nothing more than a pile of ashes now, and their screams only became much more unbearable. You wanted to cover your ears to lessen the pain their cries gave you. You tried to close your eyes so tight you'd see stars. You tried to do all of those things, but you couldn't. You stood there, fixed in place, unable to move any of your limbs as if some unknown force wanted you to watch it all.

Why? Why do they have to suffer?

"[Name], please! Help us!"

What did you do to get this treatment?

"It- it hurts so much!"

It was only till you saw one of the girls begin to walk in your direction did you get concerned. They were nothing but skin and bones; she shouldn't be able to walk. Not in this state.

Though it was hard to tell who the girl was, she was still unrecognizable at this point. Her skin was way beyond charred, and her skin was practically melting off her bones- it was horrifying. Again, you tried to turn your head away from her, to rid your eyes of the sight, but you found yourself unable to, your limbs still frozen. But your brain continued to scream, telling you to move.

"Why?" the girl asked, her voice devoid of emotion. It sounded like Briar, the sweet girl who could do no wrong, but at the same time, it was nothing like her, only an empty husk of the girl you loved dearly. "Why won't you look at me? This is something you caused. Something you wanted."

Your eyes widened just a fraction. Did the sisters also believe you were at fault here? Did they think you had a hidden agenda as well? All of these questions remain unanswered, only making the tight feeling in your chest worse.

"Everything was your doing, wasn't it?" another sister spoke, and this time it was Delphine, her voice as empty as the last sister. Her marred hands gripped your shirt, and her touch felt like hot stones on bare skin; it was painful. You felt your eyes begin to tingle. And it wasn't long until all the sisters started to surround your frame.

You couldn't blink, you couldn't move, you couldn't speak. It was impossible to do so with the sisters now attempting to rip you limb from limb.

"Why didn't you do anything, huh? You saw us, didn't you? So why?" another sister uttered, her voice broken.

What could you have done in a situation like that? What could anyone have done? By the time he would've gotten help, it'd be too late, so what could you have done?

Again you tried to reason with the sisters and internally begged them to let you go, but they only gripped harder, and your voice remained unheard. It felt all too real to be a dream. Far too damn real.